1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to skateboards, and, in particular, to apparatus for holding skateboards. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for holding and carrying skateboards. Even more particularly, the present invention is related to apparatus for holding and carrying skateboards which can be worn by the user of the skateboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Skateboard carriers and holders are known in the art. Exemplary of the prior art are the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,460 discloses a skateboard carrier for transport of a skateboard which leaves use of the hands free, including a flexible resiliently deformable pad body with front and back faces configured to cover substantially the upper back of the bearer. The lateral sides of the pad body have pairs of attachment members to which cinching straps removably attach across the back face to cinchingly loop around the axle support brackets of a skateboard vertically oriented and positioned with its wheels extending outwardly. The lateral edges of the pad body at the attachment member and the attachment members are drawn tightly against the lateral margins to restrain lateral movement of the skateboard, vertical movement of which is restrained by the loops about the axle support brackets. A plurality of lateral attachment member pairs permits vertical adjustment of the board on the pad body and supplementarily provides for attachment of skateboarding accessory articles. Compact articles may be accommodated in a back face pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,883 discloses a skateboard holder which can be removably attached to the belt of a wearer for transporting a skateboard. The skateboard holder has a rectangularly-shaped hanger formed of a flat material such as leather, in which two vertically oriented slits are formed in an upper portion thereof for attachment to a belt. Attached to two side portions of the hanger are two straps having fastening devices at their end portions so that a loop defined by the straps and hanger can be formed. The straps are formed so that each one attaches to the hanger along a predetermined length of a vertical edge thereof. Each strap tapers down so that its end portion is narrower than the predetermined length. This allows the weight of the skateboard to be supported while at the same time allowing the skateboard to be positioned as low as possible for wearer comfort. A vertically oriented skateboard having its upper wheels extending outwardly is positioned against the hanger so that a loop formed by the two straps is under the outwardly-extending upper wheels, thereby providing support for the skateboard as it is transported. In a further embodiment of the invention, a single strap extending from one side portion of the holder is provided. The end portion of the single strap is attached to the other side of the hanger so as to form a loop for holding the skateboard as in the first embodiment.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 258,703 discloses a carrying case for a skateboard including a zippered case for receipt of a skateboard and an adjustable strap fastened to the case.
Exemplary of holding and carrying apparatus for devices other than skateboards in U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,107 which discloses a light weight carrier system primarily for use in carrying skis and/or poles on the user's back between the shoulders. The carrier system includes a pliant back body portion including a top holding strap and bottom holding strap, each with a closure device. A pair of shoulder harness straps are each attached to opposite side edges of the body portion. In use, the carrier is placed horizontally and open on a substantially flat surface with the two holding straps on top and accessible. A pair of skis having toe bindings and heel bindings, and/or a pair of ski poles are then placed on a reinforcing strip of the body portion between the two holding straps with, for example, the toe portion of the binding above one holding strap and the heel portion of the binding above the other holding strap. Both holding straps are then secured tightly around the skis an/or poles and the entire carrier system lifted and placed on the user's back and between the shoulders, preferably at an oblique vertical angle, by the two shoulder harness straps. In preferred embodiments the ski carrier system is convertible to a waist belt when it is not being used as a carrier. In one preferred embodiment a belted pack is combined with the carrier into which pack the carrier may be placed when not being used as a carrier.